R. S. Munger’s Cotton Gin Manufactory
by Paula Bosse
Elm & Trunk, the early years (detail of an ad from 1889)…
by Paula Bosse
When R. S. Munger moved to Dallas from Mexia around 1885, even he probably had no idea how revolutionary his patented inventions would become to the world of agriculture — he had several patents, but his “improved” cotton gin was hailed as the most significant advance in cotton ginning since Eli Whitney’s original invention. Munger had been producing his equipment for a while in Mexia, but he knew that in order for his company to grow, he would have to move to a larger city, one served by the all-important railroad. He arrived in 1885 and moved into an existing “East Dallas” building owned by the wealthy banker (and former cotton farmer…) William H. Gaston (who later became an officer of the company).
The following article appeared in an 1885 edition of the Dallas Herald. It is bulging with superlatives and grand statements which actually weren’t exaggerations: because of Munger’s relocation to Dallas and his products’ massive success, the city became a national hub of agricultural machinery manufacturing. This had a huge impact on Dallas’ economic development, and the unnamed writer of this article deserves credit for his prescient words. (Click to see larger image.)
Dallas Weekly Herald, May 28, 1885
Another article describes just what Munger’s “improvements” were and also has a description of his factory — the heart of which was a 25 horsepower engine (a quick Google search tells me that 25hp is the size of a standard outboard motor engine).
Dallas Morning News, Sept. 28, 1886
A very early want-ad:
DMN, July 28, 1886
(You can read about Mr. Munger’s career accomplishments in A History of Greater Dallas, published in 1909, here, and in the Handbook of Texas entry here.)
R. S. Munger (1854-1923)
Fast-forward to today: the factory which Munger began in Dallas in the 1880s is somehow still standing and is known by most as the Continental Gin Building.
Here are a few very early ads of Munger’s cotton-gin-manufacturing empire, from city directories (the illustrated ads are full-page, which even in 1886 cost a pretty penny).
Dallas city directory, 1886
Dallas city directory, 1886
Dallas city directory, 1886
Dallas city directory, 1888
Dallas city directory, 1889
***
Sources & Notes
Photo of Robert Sylvester Munger from Find-a-Grave.
All other sources noted.
An aerial view of the complex of former Continental Gin Co. buildings can be seen via Google here.
More on the Continental Gin Company can be found in these Flashback Dallas posts:
*
Copyright © 2018 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Thanks, this is amazing!
Random question: Do you have any advice on how to view DJVU files, for example the historical maps on the Dallas Public Library website? It seems hard to do that with the web browsers I’ve tried…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! At one point I was able to view the Bolanz block book maps on the DPL website, but I haven’t been able to do it (on any browser!) for probably at least a year now. It’s a shame, because those maps are incredibly useful.
LikeLike
It’s helpful to remember that Munger’s 25 horsepower engine was steam, which is of the external combustion type. This meant it required a good-sized boiler, firebox, chimney, steam lines, and shafting to produce any actual work, to say nothing of water and whatever it required as fuel for its firebox. A modern 25 horsepower steam engine, complete with ancillaries, currently seen on You Tube will come close to filling a box car.
LikeLiked by 1 person